Minor league diaries: Daniel Robertson

EUGENE - The morning of May 26, 2008, will always be a driving force in Daniel Robertson's professional baseball career. That was when Robertson learned that his one-year stint with Oregon State was over. Despite being the two-time reigning NCAA champions, the Beavers weren't selected for the postseason. Of Oregon State's eight seniors, only Robertson never experienced the thrill of winning a national championship.

"It hurt a lot," said Robertson, who played the first three seasons of his career at Concordia, an NAIA school in Irvine, Calif. "We thought we deserved to be in there. I wasn't right for a week after that. It was just a crushing moment and really tough to swallow. It's something I'll think about for the rest of my life. "That's why I'm not holding anything back anymore. I don't want anything taken away from me again."

That do-whatever-it-takes attitude has served Robertson well this summer as a member of the Eugene Emeralds, a short-season Class A team in the San Diego Padres organization. The 5-foot-8 outfielder entered Friday leading the Northwest League with a .373 batting average. He was also first in hits (82), first in total bases (110), second in steals (18), fourth in on-base percentage (.945) and fifth in RBIs (33). Not bad for somebody drafted in the 33rd round (1,005th overall) of June's Major League Baseball draft.

"As the rounds went by, I thought, 'Am I even going to get a shot?'" said Robertson, who batted .327 at Oregon State. "I got a little nervous. I just wanted that chance. And once I got it, I tried to run away with it."

Robertson, the only Emeralds player with Oregon ties, has been a fan favorite since the season began on June 17. It didn't take him long to win over his teammates and coaches, too. Eugene manager Greg Riddoch, who managed the Padres from 1990-92, raves about Robertson's "mental approach" to the game.

As for Robertson? He'd prefer to keep the focus away from his own play and talk about the success of the Emeralds. After getting off to a 12-21 start, Eugene won 17 of its next 20 games to climb into contention in the Northwest League West Division. The second-place Emeralds trail reigning champion Salem-Keizer with 17 games to go.

"I didn't get to experience that championship feeling at Oregon State so to have this kind of turnaround here definitely feels nice," Robertson said. "I'm trying to do whatever I can for this team to get a chance at a ring. As much as I love to win, I think I hate to lose even more."

Like many ballplayers, Robertson does his best to keep a day-to-day focus throughout the grind of a minor league season. But now that he's had success at this level, he can't help but think about moving up in the Padres' system and working toward his goal of being a major leaguer. "I can envision myself as a 10-year big-leaguer just grind ing every day, living my dream," Robertson said. "You have to dream about it. but I could get hurt, too. That's why you also have to appreciate this game every day. Each day you have to be better than you were the day before and hope to have something to show for it in the end."